Monday, January 28, 2013

Something is disturbing the sleep of residents in a normally quiet corner of north eastern Oregon. It started in November of 2012 and has continued into 2013. Late at night, strange screams echo out across the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Residents describe the noise as a roaring and screeching that sounds like nothing they’ve ever heard from area wildlife. The odd sounds seem to come from a brushy swamp located on the reservation, east of Pendleton, Oregon. The sounds range from high pitch to low bass roars. Some members of the Confederated tribes believe the sounds are being made by the legendry beast known as Bigfoot.

The Umatilla Indian Reservation is located in north eastern Oregon, not far from the Washington border. Most of the reservation is in Umatilla county, with a very small part extending south into Union county. It’s owned by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation who also own and operate the Wildhorse Resort and Casino on the property. The reservation was established for three Sahaptin speaking native American tribes (the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Walla) who traditionally inhabited the Columbia plateau. The reservation is home to about 1500 people.

The Blue Mountains which run through this region of Oregon have long been thought to be a hotbed of Bigfoot activity. The current noises seem to be centered in a swampy area that borders the old reservation community of Mission, in a canyon north of the Wildhorse Casino.

The tribal housing authority has been getting a lot of calls about the strange cries. Colleen Chance, an employee at tribal housing captured a recording of the sounds and keeps it on her iPhone. “It’s kind of spooky, some say it’s foxes, some say it’s a female coyote and some say it’s Sasquatch. I don’t know what it is.”

The housing authority continues to receive calls about the disturbance because the cries continue from time to time.

Sylvia Minthorn lives with her mother Denise in a tribal housing unit near the swamp. She says that as a child, she used to play in the area where the strange sounds come from. She once thought about going into the swamp to find the source of the cries. “..but then I thought, what if I do find something, then what am I going to do?”

“It’s causing an uproar around here,” said Sylvia, she’s seen grown men’s hair stand on end when the shrieks commence. Her mother, Denise, thinks that whatever is in the swamp is calling to another creature somewhere else on the reservation. She says that she’s heard shrieks from two directions at once as if two animals were communicating. “It was no noise I’ve ever heard before. It was like bar room brawls and laughter.”
Josh Franken, interim director of the tribal housing authority reports that some residents admit being afraid of the sounds. “One man said that his dogs were too terrified to go outside. This guy was rather scared himself. A rumor quickly spread that the cries were made by a young bigfoot that had got separated from the rest of his clan.”
Carl Sheeler, wildlife program manager for the tribes doesn’t seem to think much of the reports. He says there are several animals in the region known for making strange noises. “That wetland is a perfect place to have an echoing call sound eerie” he states. Sheeler says the first time a person hears a fox or cougar calling in the night, it raises the hair on the back of your neck.

Marcus Luke is a housing authority home ownership counselor. He’s also a longhouse drummer and singer who follows the Washat, or Seven Drums religion. He doesn’t dismiss the sounds to quickly.

“It’s difficult to shrug off the accounts. Many on the reservation are woodsy type folks familiar with animals and not prone to taking fright at nighttime commotion. Bigfoot is part of the tribal culture tradition and spiritual beliefs. We have stories about it.”
Sylvia Minthorn dismisses notions that the screams are the sounds of a known animal. “Foxes do sound creepy, but it’s not the same sound, not even close.”

Sylvia’s uncle, Armand Minthorn, is a tribal spiritual leader who believes he found evidence of Bigfoot years ago in the Blue Mountains. While hunting, Armand found footprints on a road. “Right in the middle of the road was this great big footprint, perhaps 16 to 18 inches long and manlike. The enormous stride carried it across the road leaving one footprint in the middle.”
As for the current shrieks, Armand believes they could be anything. “We probably will never know what made those sounds” he said.

This is not the first time that residents of a reservation have been disturbed by strange unidentified animal sounds. In 2011, members of the Navajo Nation around Crownpoint, NM were plagued by eerie howls from a creature dubbed the “Crownpoint Howler.” The sounds continued for some time and were even captured in an episode of the reality show “Navajo Cops.”

Friday, January 25, 2013

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum in Dayton, Ohio is one of the oldest garden cemeteries in the United States. Founded in 1841, the cemetery grounds are comprised of 200 acres of rolling hills, trees and 165 specimens of native Midwestern trees and plants. Woodland is on the National Register of Historic Places and it's "Victorian" section received it's own Historic designation as a historic district in 2011.
I investigated the cemetery back in the early 2000's and found it to be a fascinating site. Beyond the ghost stories associated with it, the cemetery is an amazing piece of history. The cemetery's chapel contains one of the finest original Tiffany windows in the country. An ornate Romanesque gateway leads to the grounds and inside you'll find Greek statues, temples and a marble mausoleum with a dozen large stained glass windows. Over 100,000 people are buried at Woodland including many famous figures. Wilbur and Orville Wright, Erma Bombeck and inventor Charles Kettering are just a few of the recognizable names to be found on the grounds.

I received the report below from a woman in Dayton who had a strange encounter in Woodland cemetery:
"Living in Dayton, we had heard about the Woodland Cemetery from a lot of different people. We actually lived in the area for almost two years before we finally got around to going out there. We got involved researching genealogy so we started going to cemeteries in the area. Woodland is a pretty interesting place. It has a lot of old stones and unique statues. Since it's so old, there are a lot of families buried there. The cemetery has experienced a lot of problems with vandals which I
think is very sad. I can't imagine why people would want to do such things. Anyway, the incident that happened to me was on our third visit to Woodland. We got over there late in the day on a Tuesday. We didn't see anyone else around and we had kind of wandered in different directions, looking around, taking notes and checking on different names. I had also started doing rubbings of some old gravestones and I was looking at some stones, thinking about taking a rubbing. Maybe I was a bit too focused but I suddenly noticed that there was a little girl nearby. She was sitting on a stone, swinging her feet. She had blonde hair and was wearing white tennis shoes. I looked at her and said hello. She said hello back to me, then she jumped up, turned and ran away. The most curious thing was that a blue light seemed to follow her, I've never seen anything like it. When she got a short distance away from me, that blue light sort of went into her and she was just gone! I was
really spooked and was standing there with my mouth hanging open. That was enough for me, I was out of that cemetery and it took a while before I was ready to go again. My sister had been too far away to see the girl. Later, I found out about the ghost of a girl who has been seen in Woodland, I believe that it was her ghost that I saw that day."

This encounter seems to fit the pattern of one of the cemetery's well known spirits. A pretty blonde girl in white tennis shoes and blue jeans. She's been seen sitting on one of the stones and it's claimed that she will speak with those who pass by. The stone she sits on is reported to emit a strange, blue light. No one seems to know exactly who this spirit is or why she's restless but she has been witnessed several times.

The cemetery is home to a number of other purported spirits, including several civil war soldiers, early Dayton business man Adam Schantz and, Woodland's most famous spirit, Johnny Morehouse. Just a young man in 1860, Johnny fell into a canal and drowned. His faithful dog dove in and pulled Johnny out but it was too late. The dog, stricken with grief, stayed at the boy's grave until he too passed away. The tale may be history, or simply a legend, but the story has been told for many
years. Johnny's unique tombstone bears the sculpture of a young boy with a dog standing guard over him. There have been many reports of a boy and his dog seen playing in the cemetery after hours. The boy's laughter is heard mixed with the joyous barking of his dog. Phantoms of the past, still together in the afterlife. Johnny's story is well known and visitors often leave toys, candies and treats at Johnny's grave. Small tokens for the boy and his dog.

While historic sites like Woodland are meccas for those interested in ghost stories and unusual history, they also attract unsavory characters and those who have no respect for historic sites or those who have passed away. Vandals have struck the site on several occasions and damaged some of the headstones. If you'd like to visit this historic site, you'll have to do so during normal operating hours. Tours are available about the cemetery's history and the people interred there. Further information can be found at the main Website:

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Sunny Siberia is adding a new attraction. A Yeti theme park. Yes, you read that right, a theme park devoted to the legendary Yeti. Hoping to cash in on interest in the search for the beast, officials have dedicated a portion of land and launched plans to construct a park centered on the Yeti. Initial plans for the park include a hotel and a themed children’s playground, all built at the Sheregesh ski resort resting in the Shoria Mountian area. The region claims to have a high number of Yeti sightings and officials hope the park will draw additional tourists to the area.

The Shoria Mountain area is in southern Siberia in the Kemerovo region. The region’s governor is behind the plans for the park and has added to the excitement by offering a one million rouble reward to anyone who can capture a Yeti. The governor stated: “I’ll pay a million to anyone who will find the Yeti and bring it to see me. I’ll sit down with him, chat and have a cup of tea.” One million roubles by the way, works out to about $33,000 in US currency.

Despite lack of a physical specimen, locals have long believed that the Yeti is a real creature though opinions vary as to its origins. The brainchild behind the park, Sheregesh adminstrator Igor Idimeshev has a unique idea to explain the Yeti.

“I’ve seen this creature several times”, he stated. “I think it is most likely of extraterrestrial origin, not from this world. The Yeti might suddenly disappear and re-materialize. Another extraordinary thing is that Yeti’s hair is luminous at night, and also that the Yeti can walk on water.”
In an interview with the Siberian Times, Idimeshev spoke further about the elusive creature. He told the paper:

“I’ve met these creatures several times here in Tashtagol district and also in the area where I was born in the village of Toz close to Zelenaya Mountain. I saw it several times before I moved here to Sheregesh. Each time I was on my own, I was hunting. The only person I ever told everything in detail to was my mother – and she taught me to keep it to myself.”

Idimeshev says that the people of Shoria refer to the creatures as “Big Men” and that everyone in the region is aware of their existence. Believing it unlucky to speak too much about the encounters, the Big Men are only mentioned in conversation briefly.

“Every man around here sees him when he hunts. The feeling is one of fear. It is a fear that you cannot explain rationally. You feel yourself very scared and tense at the same time. One of the closest comparisons is the feeling of looking into a wolf’s eyes. If you’ve ever seen them, I mean a wild wolf, not a caged animal, you remember a feeling of them being something very unusual, alien. Like with a wolf, you can see a Yeti’s eyes from a distance of some 100-150 meters. They are quite hypnotizing. And when I saw the Yeti’s eyes my only thought was that they are not from Earth, they are clearly of an extraterrestrial nature. To me, the Yeti is an extraterrestrial creature. I believe that it is like a controller to look over things here on Earth.”
Pressed about the physical traits of Yeti, Idimeshev offered this:

“I would not be able to give an estimate of the Yeti’s size. It certainly looked big. Bigger than a human. I didn’t go to have a look at his footprints, or check for any other material proof of his existence. Believe me, this is not what you want to do right after seeing it. You feel scared. We are building the Yeti Park now, and of course there will be a chance for people who come here to see the creature. For me having Yetis here means something much more than the simple tourist attraction.”

Idimeshev believes that the Yeti is important to the region. He said that further plans for the theme park include a museum to display Yeti related materials and a conference space for symposiums dedicated to the search for the creature.

There have been numerous expeditions over the years to search for proof of the Yeti. Footprints have been discovered and hair samples collected. So far though, no definitive proof has been offered and results of DNA testing on the hair have not been forthcoming. Sightings of the creature continue, last September, three separate sightings were reported. Perhaps that number will start to rise as the tourists flock to Siberia.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

There seems to be some interesting activity in the Nevada skies around Area 51 in recent months. My last post detailed a report I received from Janet, a woman who witnessed a UFO in the sky between Alamo and Rachel in late December.

MUFON also received a report in late December, filed by investigator Darren Perks. The sighting occurred on September 29, 2012. Here's the unedited field report filed by Darren:

"A contact of mine who is a local resident of Alamo, Nevada was walking near to the Windmill Ranch Hotel just outside Alamo when he spotted this sphere moving towards the west and the mountain range which you can see in the picture. Behind the mountains is Area 51 and on this particular day there had been no aircraft activity out of Nellis AFB or Groom Lake. The sun was behind the person who took this picture and you can clearly see this from the shadows on the ground in the picture. The contact had forgotten this image until he recently went through some old SD memory cards and came across it just before Christmas. He contacted me immediately and we cannot find any conventional explanation for this sphere. He does recall seeing flashes in the sky which were also witnessed by staff from the hotel, in total 3 other persons. He cannot find any conventional explantion for this sphere and satelites and astronomical objects have been ruled out. The contact has asked me to share this image and I will respect their wishes by not naming them. None the less this is certainly a decent image and one that should certianly be shared with the public. Darren Perks UFO Investigator www.ufoshropshire.co.uk"

Just a note on detail, there is no "Windmill Ranch Hotel". There is a Windmill Ridge Restaurant and Lodge just outside of Alamo and this is clearly what the witness is referring to. I find it odd that a local would make such a mistake so perhaps the person is not actually a resident of Alamo.
The report is easy enough to follow up on since there's a mention of 'staff from the hotel' also witnessing the object. I'm in the area often enough to know some of the staff at the Windmill Ridge, so hopefully they can shed some further light on this sighting.

What's especially interesting about this incident is that it mentions a 'sphere shaped' object. This is the same type of craft reported by Janet during her December encounter. There's apparently a third sighting of a sphere shaped UFO in the same time frame which I'm attempting to get more details on.

In the past few months, there have been a number of UFO reports from southern Nevada, in particular, from the region around the infamous Area 51, the non-existent government installation.
The account below is from Janet, a woman who contacted me about her December, 2012 UFO sighting.

"I was driving south through Nevada and had passed through the little town of Rachel. I was partway between Rachel and Alamo. It was early evening. The sun was going down fast and honestly I didn't want to be driving out in that part of the country after dark but now I was stuck.

Let me tell you up front, I have been abducted a number of times. At this point in my life, I don't care if anyone believes that or not. It is a fact of my life. Since the last abduction, I have tried to avoid areas that have a history of a lot of UFO sightings. Maybe it sounds silly, but I just don't want to do anything to encourage another experience. I had no intention of driving over the ET highway at night because I knew there were a lot of sightings there. I didn't have a lot of choice though. You see, I live in California but most of my family is still in Nevada and Utah. We're still close so I try
to see them as often as I can and certainly around birthdays and holidays. This incident happened when I was going to stay with my family for the Christmas holiday. I was supposed to leave early in the morning before sun rise so that I could be there early but my boss caught me the night before and needed me to take care of something at nine in the morning. I couldn't say no. It was supposed to be quick, but well, you know how those things are. I left much later than I wanted to and as a result, there I was in that part of Nevada with the sun quickly going down.

Ever since my last abduction, I have a strange sensation in the back of my neck from time to time. I believe it's a reaction to aliens or UFOs being nearby. A friend who's into UFOs thinks that I have an implant but I don't even want to know if I do or not. Anyway, that buzzing at the base of my neck started as I was driving on part of the ET highway. I looked around but didn't see anything at first. I tried to just focus on driving. I sped up, hoping to just get to Alamo and maybe stop in the restaurant there to be around people. I thought that might make me safer. There weren't any other cars on the road at the time. The buzzing got stronger and then I looked up through the windshield of the car. There ahead of me, hovering in the sky was a craft. It had a row of lights along it that were bright white. It was not like any kind of airplane I had ever seen before. It was sort of a sphere but looked like it was squashed a little. It was right over the middle of the road ahead of me. I stopped the car
and just sat there. I started praying, hoping that whatever was in that ship would not notice me and would just go away. It seemed like a long time, but it was probably just a minute or two when suddenly the ship darted off, very, very fast heading towards the mountains. I drove off as fast as I could. I went straight through Alamo and didn't stop until I had to for gas.
After visiting my family for a few days, I decided to take the long way home. Even though it was a few hours longer, I just couldn't think about driving through that area again."

Recently, MUFON received a similar report from Alamo, Nevada. The report was filed at the end of December and details the sighting of a sphere shaped craft.

Is this exterrestrial activity or is something new being tested at Area 51? I suppose the answer should be simple since Area 51 doesn't exist, but personally, I have a lot of questions.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

In 1999, a burial site was discovered by residents of the small Mexican village of Onavas. The burial site, dubbed, El Cementerio contained 25 separate sets of remains. It represents the first pre-Hispanic cemetery found in the northern Mexican state of Sonora.
Workers discovered the cemetery while building an irrigation canal. Researchers say the site, which may be 1,000 years old, contained an interesting find. Almost half the skulls discovered at the site had a strange, alien shape. A total of thirteen of the skulls were elongated and pointed at the back. Five of these skulls also had mutilated teeth.

The strange find led to a flurry of Internet posts proclaiming the discovery of "Alien" skulls and bodies in Mexico. Before jumping to such conclusions however, It's important to remember that the practice of intentionally deforming the skulls of children as they grew was a common practice in Central America and western Mexico. This particular find seems to confirm that the tradition reached much further north than previously believed.

The ritual practice of cranial deformation involved the altering of a child's skull into a different, often elongated, shape. It was usually done by binding wooden boards against the head for long periods of time. Dental mutilation was done by filing or grinding the teeth into odd shapes.
The El Cementerio site contained seventeen children between the ages of five months and sixteen years of age. This high number may indicate that the attempted cranial manipulation itself caused the deaths of some of the children. It's unknown why the practice was used in this area.

Cristina García Moreno, archaeologist at Arizona State University replied to the rumors of alien remains:
"The most common comment I've read from people that see the pictures of cranial deformation has been that they think that those people were 'aliens,'" García said. "I could say that some say that as a joke, but the interesting thing is that some do think so. Obviously we are talking about human beings, not aliens."
García and her colleagues completed their initial analysis in November and will be releasing their research soon.

Perhaps the most curious component of such finds is trying to understand why the practice of cranial manipulation was practiced at all. Several theories have been proposed over the years ranging from ritual practice to its use as a status symbol or class distinction.

Proponents of the Ancient Alien theory believe the practice may have been done to emulate visitors from other planets who came to earth in the distant past. Elongated skulls have also been found in Egypt and it is interesting to note that both the Egyptians and cultures in Central and South America show a fascination with the stars, timekeeping and of course pyramids. In the remote past, it's very possible that these civilizations received visitors from beyond, but so far, it doesn't look like any aliens are buried here.

Monday, January 7, 2013

It’s always a pleasure to hear about the discovery of new species. It’s a bit of a counterbalance to the tragedy of losing so many animals each year, and it’s a reminder of how much of the world remains unexplored.

A recent report from the ongoing work in the Greater Mekong region of southeast Asia has yielded a plethora of new species. The report, titled “Extra Terrestrial” was issued by the WWF. It details a few of the new animals found by scientist working in the region.

Among the new creatures found, a small, demonic faced bat and a tree frog that sings like a bird are some of the most interesting.

The Quang’s tree frog was discovered during the study in the high altitude forest of Northern Vietnam. The frog has a complex call that sounds more like a bird than a frog. The male of the species attracts females with a song composed of whistles, chirps and clicks. The order of sounds is never the same, causing each song to have a new and unique sound.

The tube-nosed bat, dubbed “Beelzebub’s bat” was also discovered in Vietnam. The Greater Mekong is the only place this bat has been found. It lives in and depends on, the tropical forests for its survival. The Mekong region has lost thirty percent of its forest in the last four decades, putting this animal, and many others at risk.

This is the cold reality of such discoveries. While the news of so many new species is exciting, there is also cause for concern. Nick Cox, Manager of the WWF-Greater Mekong’s Species Program reports;

“Only by investing in nature conservation, especially protected areas, and developing greener economies, will we see these new species protected and keep alive the hope of finding other intriguing species in years to come.”
The animals in this region face many threats including loss of habitat, illegal hunting and the exotic pet trade. Poaching is a serious problem in these countries and Cox says that the WWF has helped launch a global campaign to increase law enforcement and help reduce the demand for endangered species products.

It’s intriguing that so many new species are being discovered in a region known for sightings of a bigfoot like creature. Known to the people of the area as the “Người rừng” and “Batutut” these forest people have long been a part of the region’s lore. United States soldiers also reported these creatures during the Vietnam war. It’s possible that more details will emerge about the forest people as work in the region continues.

The Greater Mekong spans Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar and Yunnan, the southwestern province of China. Since 1997, over 1700 new species have been discovered in the region. The 2011 study identified 126 new plants and animals including 5 mammals, 5 amphibians, 13 fish, 21 reptiles and 82 plants. Extra Terrestrial only spotlights 10 of these new species so there’s much more to come. The report can be found at the WWF site:

Friday, January 4, 2013

It was a real pleasure to have my friend, William White Crow join me on the show. The interview is a bit different since we talk a bit about the native american perspecitve on BEKs, portals and other phenomenon.

About Me

David Weatherly is a paranormal investigator and author. For 40 years he has explored the world of the strange, investigating cases around the country and abroad. He has written and lectured on a diverse range of topics including Cryptozoology, Ufology and Hauntings.
David has also studied Shamanic and magical traditions with elders from numerous cultures including Europe, Tibet, Native America, and Africa.
He has appeared on numerous radio programs including: Coast to Coast AM, Dreamland, Veritas and Darkness Radio. David was also featured in Watchers Volume 5 and on Ancient Aliens.
He is the author of "The Black Eyed Children," "Strange Intruders" and the Wood Knocks series.

Contact

Have an experience to share? I'm always interested in hearing your personal reports. Simply post in the comments section on this blog, or if it's a longer account, send it to me at: twocrowsparanormal@gmail.com. Either way, your message comes straight to me.